Postby MagicbyAlfred » November 14th, 2017, 4:07 pm
Having followed Performer for quite some time now, it seems to me that he is not just a grafter, author and entertaining magician, but a psychic who sincerely wants to be a positive force for people and give them hope. The common denominator is that grafter, author, magician, or psychic, one must pay the inevitable bills.
While Performer has recounted times when he has sold many decks within a few hours span, it is now clear that the psychic readings fetch far more farthings for far less time. He clearly has a significant advantage over the other psychics at the fairs by virtue of being able to cleverly attract a throng of people who watch his Svengali pitch. This enables him to subtly advertise his far more lucrative services as a psychic and to draw people in with a quick palm reading teaser. He has also entertained them and made them laugh with his Svengali pitch. This, I would imagine, endears the onlookers to him, and gives them an opportunity to feel like they know him, giving him an even further advantage over the other psychics who solemnly sit at their tables, and from whom the people haven't heard a word uttered.
Some of the most creative grafters of bygone days used methods unrelated to what ultimately got them the money in order to attract people into a position where they could be separated from their funds. For example, three card monte hustler, Ben Marks, came up with the idea of the "Dollar Store," which he opened in 1870 in Cheyenne Wyoming. It was apparently a store where people could get tremendous bargains. Once people were drawn inside, they would see that there was a lively and fun game going on at a table in the store. Of course, it was Ben and his shills, and the whole thing was theatrically orchestrated to ensure that the fools and their money were soon parted. This idea really caught on among hustlers, who never had to worry about selling items worth far more than a dollar for just a dollar, as the patrons rarely had a dime left to their name after being fleeced at the monte table.